Union County, NJ – The votes are in and the winner is…the Union County 4-H Dog Club. Pictured here is Union County 4-H’er Lauren Lang of Berkeley Heights with “Snickers,” displaying ribbons from the statewide 4-H Dog Show in New Brunswick earlier this spring. The ribbons are for the team winning 1st Place in Dog Obedience and the Rally Competition, and 4th place in Junior Showmanship. Congratulations to Lauren, Snickers, and the entire 4-H Dog Club! Union County 4-H is a youth development program run by the Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Union County, sponsored in part by the Freeholder Board. For information on the Dog Club and other popular clubs including Archery, Lego, and Cooking contact 4-H Agent Jim Nichnadowicz, 908-654-9854 or Nichnadowicz@njaes.rutgers.edu, or visit ucnj.org/rce.

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Please be advised, U.C. Mosquito Control will be spraying for Adult Mosquitoes tonight, June 04, 2015 between the hours of 7:00 P.M. and 12:00 A.M. (Weather Permitting).Please check below to see if your Town is on the list. If you have any questions or concerns please contact our office at 908-654-9834/9835.

• Berkeley Heights. – Kuntz St. Area
• Clark – Conger Way, Schwin Dr., Roberts Rd., Lance Dr., Rutgers Rd., Kincaid Pl.
• Elizabeth – Clarkson Ave and the Dike, Niles St., Spencer St., Palmer St.
• Fanwood – Fanwood Pl. (Fanwood DPW)
• Hillside – Harvard Ave., Cornell Pl., Revere Dr., Nottingham Way, Exeter Way, Gate Way, Surrey La., Haviland Dr., Masters Square, Windsor Way, Bradford Rd., Westminster Ave., Wilder St., Salem Rd. between Conant Ave. and North Ave.
• Kenilworth – Dorset Dr., Epping Dr., Water Co. Rd.
• Linden – Tremley Pt., Bradford Ave., Lexington Ave., Marion Ave.
• New Providence – Grove St. Area
• Plainfield – Rock Ave. Dump, Terrill Rd., Cushing Rd., Knollwood Ct.
• Rahway – Leesville Ave. Area, Church St., Central Ave., Donald Ave., Price St., Allen St., Jones Pl., Elizabeth Ave., Kearney Ave., Lincoln Ave., Whittier St., Scott Ave.
• Scotch Plains – South Ave. between Hetfield Ave. and Crossway Pl.Tussel La.
• Springfield – Layng Ter., Kemp Dr., New Brook La., Benjamin Dr., Diven St., Stiles St., Meckes St., Ruby St., Marian Ave., Warner Ave. Area.
• Summit – Kent Pl. Blvd., Mt. Vernon Ave., New Providence Ave.
• Union – Rahway Ave. Area, Brighton St., Gifford Ct. Dewey St., Hobson St.
• Winfield Park – Union County Parkway
• Town Parks – Memorial Field – Linden
• County Parks – Joe Black Field, Oak Ridge, Rahway, Snyder Ave. Ball Field, Warinanco, Watchung Reservation, loop Area and Museum Area.

Please travel with caution as flash flooding may occur on roads. Never drive your vehicle in areas where the water totally covers the roadway. Flood waters are usually deeper than they appear. Rainfall rates as high as 2 to 3 inches per hour are possible, which would cause flash flooding in urban and poor drainage areas.

Stay up-to-date on storm related information by visiting www.ucnj.org and by following the County’s social media – www.ucnj.org/connected

Union County Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh (C) and Freeholders Alexander Mirabella (R) and Linda Carter welcome the crowd to Union County’s Rhythm and Blues by the Brook free outdoor concert at Cedar Brook Park in Plainfield. Rhythm and Blues by the Brook was headlined by the high energy funk of The Family Stone and the iconic R&B super group of the ’70s, War.

(Photos by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

The County of Union will be hosting our last Mold Remediation Workshop this Saturday June 6th at the Cranford Recreation Center from 10am to noon. So far we have educated over 200 residents about the mold cleanup process including how to recognize it and how to properly use the personal protective equipment included in the free mold remediation kits.

This workshop is sponsored by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders. To register for this free workshop, please call 908-518-5630 or e-mail anavas@ucnj.org

Contestants, ranging from grades 4 through 8, had to prepare an original work in an effort to promote Arbor Day and creatively show the importance of trees in Union County. (Photos by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

   

Union County Freeholder Vice Chairman Bruce H. Bergen congratulates the 5th grade winners of the 2015 Union County Arbor Day Poetry Contest. Maggie Sher (C) from the Kent Place School in Summit won first place. Georgia Rabin from the Kent Place School in Summit placed third. 

Union County Freeholder Vice Chairman Bruce H. Bergen congratulates the 6th grade winners of the 2015 Union County Arbor Day Poetry Contest. (From left)  Jodi De Jesus from the Oak Knoll School in Summit won first place. Alessandra Serio from the Park Middle School in Scotch Plains came in second place. Trevor Pease from the Park Middle School in Scotch Plains placed third.

Union County Freeholder Vice Chairman Bruce H. Bergen congratulates the 7th grade winners of the 2015 Union County Arbor Day Poetry Contest. Dovid Rozehzadeh from The Jewish Education Center in Elizabeth won first place. Rivka Shapiro from the Bruriah Junior High School in Elizabeth came in second place.

Union County Freeholder Vice Chairman Bruce H. Bergen congratulates the 8th grade winners of the 2015 Union County Arbor Day Poetry Contest. Adina Pinsker (C) from the Bruriah Junior High School in Elizabeth won first place. Hannah Makasare from the Saint James the Apostle School in Springfield came in second place.

Union County Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh (C) and Freeholders Alexander Mirabella (L) and Sergio Granados (R) presented a resolution to U.S. Army veteran Eric Peters of Clark thanking him for his efforts to bring attention to the problem of veterans suffering with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) before the 1st Annual Walking in My Boots Walkathon in Warinanco Park in Roselle. They were joined by Union County Sheriff Joseph Cryan (2nd L). The walkathon raised funds and awareness for veterans living with PTSD. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

The Union County Baseball Association invites young baseball players – boys and girls – ages 8 to 15, to register for its Summer Youth League baseball teams. This annual youth baseball program – now celebrating its 70^th season – is sponsored by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, the Union County Baseball Association, and the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation.

“Since 1945, Union County has offered opportunities for young ballplayers to strengthen their skills and have fun during the summer,” said Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh. “The Summer Youth League continues this long tradition of providing coaches, umpires, shirts and baseball caps to boys and girls who enjoy participating in baseball games at Warinanco Park.”

Register for the summer league online at www.UCBA-NJ.ORG . Participants also may sign-up at the Warinanco Park Boat House in Roselle on Saturday, June 20, from 9:00 a.m. to 12 noon. Each player is required to bring a $25 registration fee (check or cash) and a birth certificate to the sign-up. Saturday, June 20, will be the last day to register.

Players must be at least 8 years old by June 21 and cannot be 16 before August 1. All those who register will participate in play.

All games during the Summer Youth League are played in Warinanco Park, on the border of Elizabeth and Roselle, Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. The games are coached and supervised by Union County Baseball Association staff.

The Summer Youth League is divided into three divisions: a Teen League for 13, 14 and 15-year-olds; a Major League for 11 and 12-year-olds; and a Minor League for 8, 9 and 10-year-old players. Registered players will be notified about Team Assignment Day and the first day of play. There will be no refunds after Team Assignment Day.

For more information call 908-917-2523, or visit the Union County Baseball Association Website at www.UCBA-NJ.ORG .

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ELIZABETH, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to announce that a selection of prize-winning art work by Union County employees and their family members is on display through July 14 in the Freeholders Gallery, located on the 6^th floor of the Union County Administration Building, Elizabethtown Plaza at Rahway Avenue, in Elizabeth. The gallery is open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. weekdays.

The art display presents a select sampling of 15 pieces from among the 132 creations judged at the recent 14^th annual “National Arts Program Exhibit and Contest for Union County Employees and Their Families.” The exhibit and contest is a result of a partnership with the National Arts Program Foundation which provides prize money and valuable support to display the work of talented artists.

“The artistic talent of our Union County employees, retired County employees, County program volunteers and their family members is very impressive,” said Freeholder Chairman Mohamed Jalloh. “We have artists who excel in painting, photography and other visual arts, and we are proud to put their work on display. We thank the National Arts Program Foundation and Elizabethtown Gas Company for hosting the May 5^th awards reception and providing space for Union County employees and their families to display their talent in the original exhibit.”

Listed alphabetically by town are all the award-winning employee artists (or their family members) and the awards they won at the original exhibit and contest. Not all of the award-winning pieces are able to be displayed at the Freeholders Gallery exhibit.

Clark: Susan Anderson (First Place, Professional); Ryan Frees (First Place, Amateur). Cranford: Christina Barlik (Honorable Mention, Teen 13-18); Angelina Spricigo (Honorable Mention, Youth 12 and Under); Dianna Strom (Third Place, Intermediate). Edison: Richa Wadhawan (Third Place, Teen 13-18). Elizabeth: Shane Rhodes (Third Place, Youth 12 and Under); Al Sanchez (Honorable Mention, Amateur). Fanwood: Tom Plante (Second Place, Amateur). Hillsborough: James Caratozzolo (Third Place, Amateur). Hillside: Nasrene Mondol (Honorable Mention, Amateur). Jackson: Grace Hagemann (Honorable Mention, Youth 12 and Under). Kenilworth: Jim Lowney (Second Place, Professional). Linden: Christine Marti-Millward (Second Place, Youth 12 and Under); Mumtaz Mekhaiel (Honorable Mention, Professional); Adrianna Rendon (Honorable Mention, Teen 13-18); Victoria Rendon (Honorable Mention, Teen 13-18). Martinsville: Kayla Stasil (First Place, Youth 12 and Under). North Bergen: Gabriella Marino (Best in Show, Teen 13-18). Old Bridge: Allana McQueen (Honorable Mention, Teen 13-18). Rahway: Gavin Cederquist (Honorable Mention, Youth 12 and Under); Arianna Lespinasse (Honorable Mention, Youth 12 and Under); Gabriella Lynch (Honorable Mention, Youth 12 and Under). Roselle Park: Kennedy Taveras (Honorable Mention, Youth 12 and Under); Miranda Taveras (Honorable Mention, Youth 12 and Under); Sophia Taveras (Honorable Mention, Youth 12 and Under). Scotch Plains: Rich Palmatier (First Place, Intermediate); Charles Rubin (Honorable Mention, Intermediate). Somerset: Tina Nummela (Honorable Mention, Intermediate). Summit: Patzy Gutierrez (Third Place, Teen 13-18). Westfield: John Beil (Honorable Mention, Intermediate); Brianna Cesaro (First Place, Teen 13-18); Victoria Paparella (Honorable Mention, Teen 13-18); Barbara Uhr, (Third Place, Professional); Eileen Willoughby (Second Place, Intermediate).

Additional support for this event was provided by a grant from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. Exhibits at the Freeholders Gallery are coordinated by the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs.

For more information about this exhibit and other programs and services related to the arts and Union County history, contact the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs, 633 Pearl Street, Elizabeth NJ 07202. Telephone: (908) 558-2550. NJ Relay users dial 711. Or send E-mail to: culturalinfo@ucnj.org

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CRANFORD, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders will sponsor a Household Special Waste Collection event on Saturday, June 6, so Union County residents can get rid of outdated or unwanted household chemicals, mercury thermostats, propane tanks, and automobile tires in an environmentally safe manner. The household hazardous waste collection will take place from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Union County College campus, 1033 Springfield Avenue in Cranford, opposite Nomahegan Park.

Residents of Union County are eligible to participate at no cost. Pre-registration is not required for this special Saturday collection.

“The special household waste recycling program for Union County residents is particularly important as we become more aware of the need for proper disposal of hazardous items that are found around the home,” said Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh. “The result of our effort is safer homes and a cleaner environment for our families and our neighbors.”

All that residents need to do is drive to the site with their household special waste, propane tanks, automobile tires, and mercury thermostats. Workers at the site will unload the vehicles.

“Household special waste” includes oil-based paint and varnish, antifreeze, aerosol cans, pool chemicals, corrosives, pesticides, herbicides, solvents, thinners, fire extinguishers, motor oil and oil filters, gasoline, batteries, thermostats, fluorescent bulbs (unbroken), blood pressure devices, and mercury switches. Only materials in original or labeled containers will be accepted. No containers larger than five gallons will be accepted.

Latex (water-based) paint and empty cans will not be accepted. They should be disposed of in with the regular garbage. Leftover latex paint can be air-dried or, to hasten the drying process, kitty litter and/or newspaper can be added to hasten the drying.

“This is a great opportunity to recycle up to eight tires and dispose of old chemical containers that are cluttering up the basement or the garage, or taking up space under the kitchen sink,” said Chairman Jalloh. “Our homes become safer once they are rid of hazardous and combustible waste.”

There is a limit of eight automobile tires (without rims) per household. This is a household recycling event. No businesses, please.

A complete list of the materials that will be accepted on June 6 is available at the Union County Bureau of Recycling and Planning web site: www.ucnj.org/recycle

The household hazardous waste collection will be held rain or shine, for Union County residents only and not for businesses. Proof of Union County residency is required. For more information, please call the Recycling Hotline at (908) 654-9889.

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